Digging tooth with nut and bolt connecting means



June 29, 1965 A. F. COMPAGNONI 3,191,323

' Dreams woo'm WITH NUT AND BOLT CONNECTING MEANS Filed Aug. 13, 1962 FIG. 3

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. ANTHONY F. COMPAG NONI ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,191,323 DIGGING TOGTH WITH NUT AND'BOLT CONNECTING MEANS Anthony F. Compagnoni, Chicago Heights, Iil., assignor to American Brake Shoe Company, New York, N.Y., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,412 3 Claims. (Cl. 37-142) There is a common striving by workers skilled in this art to develop an eificient arrangement enabling a point to be removed and replaced with facility. Thus, where such detachment and replacement are difficult to accomplish, there is a reluctance on the part of the shovel operator to make the needed substitution for worn tooth. As a consequence, the worn tooth is not replaced, and the efficiency of the digging operation is diminished.

The tooth of the present invention is characterized by a bolt extended laterally through the tooth or point and the holder on which the tooth is detachably secured thereby. The bolt is provided with a head recessed in a substantially protected relation within one side wall of the point, and the opposite end thereof is disposed in the other side wall of the point, whereby opposite ends of the bolt are effective to block the point against displacement relative to the adapter shank or holder. The bolt itself is retained against displacement by a portion thereof threadedly connected to a nut located in a recess in the adapter.

The arrangement of the present invention described above represents an effective, inexpensive and readily adopted means of detachably securing a digging point or tooth to its holder, and such represents the primary object of the present invention. Other objects of the present invention are to enable the point to be adjusted on the holder in a relatively simple fashion by providing for a wedging action between a portion of the bolt and the point; and to enable the point to be easily reversed or inverted on its holder.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principlesmay be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a tooth assembly constructed under and in accordance with the present invention;

PEG. 2 is a plan view of the tooth shown in FIG. 1, partly in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the point with the holder removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of a porice tion of a modified tooth within the purview of the present invention; and

HG. 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a further modification.

The tooth assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a tooth or point 11 detachably secured on a holder 12, the latter in turn being adapted to be scured to the lip of a powder operated shovel, trencher or the like. It may be noted, however, that the point 11 may be secured directly to such lip as the holder for the tooth in the manner that the tooth is secured to the holder or adapter 12 as hereinafter described in detail. In other words, the present invention may be utilized in either a two-part tooth assembly including a point and an adapter, or in a one-piece tooth secured directly to the lip of a power-operated digging apparatus as the tooth assembly.

The tooth 11 includes a pair of spaced upper and lower walls 13 and 14 and spaced side walls 15 and 16 which, in the rear section of the tooth or point 11, define a generally V-shaped recess 13 configured complemental to the tapered nose portion 21 of the holder 12 adapted to extend into the tooth recess 18. The forward portion of the point 11 tapers into an elongated relatively narrow digging edge 22.

Teeth of the general kind under consideration are commonly reversed on the holder 12 when one surface thereof at the forward digging edge has been worn beyond an efiicient condition. When the tooth is reversed, the less worn side of the digging point comes into play, and when this surface has been Worn back sufiicient, the entire tooth is removed from the holder and is replaced by a fresh tooth. In other words, the holder is recapped.

In order to facilitate removal of the point 11 while assuring a firm and effective fit on the adapter 12, the tooth assembly under the present invention includes a retaining bolt 25 having the shank thereof disposed in an opening 26 which extends laterally through the nose of the adapter 12.

The bolt 2-5 is of the Allen type and includes an enlarged head 27 which fits neatly and substantially within an opening 28 in the side wall 16 of the point 11. The exposed or outwardly facing end of the head 27 is provided with the characteristic Allen-type socket 3t) enabling an Allen wrench to be entered therein incidental to tightening and loosening the bolt 25.

The end 32 of the bolt 25 opposite the head 2'7 thereof is seated in an opening 33 in the side wall 15 of the point. it will therefore be seen that the head end 27 of the bolt and the opposite end 32 thereof are effective in corresponding openings in side Walls of the tooth to hold the latter on the adapter 12 in a rigid working relationship.

The side wall of the adapter adjacent the wall 15 of the point is provided with an hexagonal opening 35 affording a complemental seat for a like nut 35. The nut as thus seated is secured against rotation.

The bolt shank is threaded at the portion thereof corresponding to the nut 36, and the part are so dimensioned and oriented as to assure that the end 32 of the bolt is well seated within the opening at the side wall 15 of the tooth when the bolt 25 has been effectively connected to the nut 36.

Thus, in completing a positive lock between the point and the adapter, the bolt 25 is passed through the opening 28 in the point into and through the opening 26 in the adapter, through the nut 36 and into the opening 33 in the side wall 15 of the point. While the arrangement is illustrated with the bolt on a horizontal axis, the same effects can be achieved by having the bolt on a vertical axis.

A modified form of construction is illustrated in FIG. 4, specifically adapted to permit the point or cap to be pulled up on the adapter, at will, incidental to producing a tight fit between these parts. This is often necessitated by wearing down of the engaged upper and lower surfaces of the point and holder, especially when working in rocky areas. To this end, the openings identified above as 28 and 33 in the opposed walls of the point include tapered sides 23A and 33A. In the fully seated or extreme position, the head 27 of the bolt bears flush against the adjacent surface of the adapter as shown in FIG. 4, which characterizes the point or cap drawn upwardly on the holder a maximum extent. However, until this extreme condition is achieved, the head 27 of the bolt and the end 32 of the bolt bear on the wedge surfaces 28A and 33A, and while the point may be tight on the adapter at this time, there is yet enough take-up remaining to accommodate such further wearing down as may occur between the opposed surfaces of the point and adapter. Such takeup, it will be recognized, occurs relative to the nut as the index position on the holder 12.

It will be noted in the constructions described above that the opening in the tip in which the head of the bolt is disposed is of larger diameter in comparison to the opening in the tip in which the free threaded end of the bolt is disposed, this being in accordance with the enlarged dimension or diameter of the bolt head in comparison to the threaded end of reduced diameter. At the same time, however, relatively close or neat fits are involved in order to securely relate the tip to the holder. Nevertheless, the present invention can be easily incorporated in a toothconstruction of the reversible type, that is, a tooth wherein the point can be removed from the holderafter one side of the tip has been worn excessively, the point inverted and then re-applied to the holder to present the fresh or substantially unworn side.

Thus, referring to FIG. 5, this shows the principle of reversibility incorporated in a tooth of the kind shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, similar reference characters being used. Reversibility is accomplished by providing a recess or pocket 40 identical to the recess 35 at the side of the holder 12 opposite the recess 35 in which the securing nut 36 is located.

The pocket 49 is idle in the sense that spacer or filler ring 41 is disposed therein, this spacer having an opening 41A which enables the shank of the bolt to be passed freely therethrough to the extent that the head27 of the bolt engages the outer face of the spacer 41. Then, when it is desired to reverse the point, the bolt 25, FIG. 5, is removed, the spacer 41 and the nut 36 are interchanged, and the point is inverted to disposed the opening 28 adjacent the recess 35 in which, incidentally, the spacer 41 has been relocated. Thereafter, the bolt is run into the nut 36, now in the pocket 40, to secure the parts together.

It will be seen that under the present invention the bolt 25 in eifect pins the point to the adapter, and characteristically the bolt does not grip or squeeze the point, although by tapering the openings in the point it is possible to draw the point up on the adapter as may be required to eliminate slack therein duringthe course of gradual wear between the nose of the adapter and the opposed surfaces of the point. Additionally, it is possible on the basis of the arrangement or equivalent shown in FIG. 5 to embody the present invention in a fully reversible tooth arrangement.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall Within the purview of the following claims.

I claim: I

1. A tooth assembly of the kind described including a holder and a point beingdetachably secured thereto; said point having first and second opposite walls defining a recess in which is received a complemental part of the holder; said holder having first and second walls on said complemental part and having a bore therethrough, said bore terminating in an enlarged seat in said second wall of said holder opposite the second wall of said point; said point having a first opening in said first wall aligned with said bore and a second, non-threaded opening in said second wall opposite aid seat and aligned with said bore; a bolt having a head portion for seating within said first opening in said point and into engagement with said first wall of said holder, said head portion being closely dimensioned to the first opening in said point to prevent relative movement between said first walls of said holder and points, respectively; a nut seated in said seat in said holder and being wholly within said seat, said seat being dimensioned to prevent turning of said nut in said seat, and an end portion of said bolt extending into said nonth'readed opening in'said second wall of said point, said non-threaded opening being closely dimensioned to said bolt, engagement of said end portion with said non-threaded opening in said second wall preventing relative movement between said second walls of said point and holder, respectively.

2. A tooth assembly according to claim 1 wherein the openings in the point present tapered surfaces engageable by said head portion and said end portion of the bolt, respectively and wherein'the head of the bolthas an opening therein for receiving a tool to turn said bolt relative to said nut.

3. A tooth assembly according to claim 1 wherein said point is reversible on said holder, said first side of said holder having a seat therein adaptedto receive said nut when said point is reversed, and a spacer seated in the seat opposite said nut and in engagement with the head portion of said bolt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 935,147 9/09 Gardner 37l42 1,775,984 9/30 Younie. 1,856,930 5/32 Robin 37-142 1,917,431 7/33 Clark 37142 3,013,620 12/61 Hill 37142 X 3,080,184 3/63 Hays 287- BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. ROBERT C. RIORDON, Examiner, 

1. A TOOTH ASSEMBLY OF THE KIND DESCRIBED INCLUDING A HOLDER AND A POINT BEING DETACHABLY SECURED THERETO; SAID POINT HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OPPOSITE WALLS DEFINING A RECESS IN WHICH IS RECEIVED A COMPLEMENTAL PART OF THE HOLDER; SAID HOLDER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND WALLS ON SAID COMPLEMENTAL PART AND HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH, SAID BORE TERMINATING IN AN ENLARGED SEAT IN SAID SECOND WALL OF SAID HOLDER OPPOSITE THE SECOND WALL OF SAID POINT; SAID POINT HAVING A FIRST OPENING IN SAID FIRST WALL ALIGNED WITH SAID BORE AND A SECOND, NON-THREADED OPENING IN SAID SECOND WALL OPPOSITE SAID SEAT AND ALIGNED WITH SAID BORE; A BOLT HAVING A HEAD PORTION FOR SEATING WITHIN SAID FIRST OPENING IN SAID POINT AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST WALL OF SAID HOLDER, SAID HEAD PORTION BEING CLOSELY DIMENSIONED TO THE FIRST OPENING IN SAID POINT TO PREVENT RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID FIRST WALLS OF SAID HOLDER AND POINTS, RESPECTIVELY; A NUT SEATED IN SAID SEAT IN SAID HOLDER AND BEING WHOLLY WIHTIN SAID SEAT, SAID SEAT BEING DIMENSIONED TO PREVENT TURNING OF SAID NUT IN SAID SEAT, AND AN END PORTION OF SAID BOLT EXTENDING INTO SAID NONTHREADED OPENING IN SAID SECOND WALL OF SAID POINT, SAID 